


You, Me, and the Cherry Blossoms

by KamMckammy



Category: D4DJ Groovy Mix (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward gay confession moments, Cherry blossom viewing, F/F, Fluff so soft so self indulgent, lots of mutual pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 02:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30098889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KamMckammy/pseuds/KamMckammy
Summary: RONDO meets up for their second annual cherry blossom viewing party ever, Tsubaki and Aoi reminisce about their first time seeing the cherry blossoms together and have a bit of a heart-to-heart
Relationships: Aoyagi Tsubaki/Miyake Aoi
Kudos: 5





	You, Me, and the Cherry Blossoms

It's fascinating how quickly time can pass when you're having a good time. Tsubaki Aoyagi had more than enough opportunities to learn that for herself ever since she started performing alongside her friends in RONDO. It felt as if it hasn't been long since the first time all four of them went to see the cherry blossoms blooming together and yet before Tsubaki knew it, a year had passed and now she found herself back in the same situation, having agreed that everyone should meet up like that once again. It felt almost surreal, how the year had come and gone in what felt like nothing more than a brief moment. So many memorable things happened during this time, Tsubaki had spent so many precious days performing with RONDO, singing her heart out during performances and during practice sessions, spending time with everyone and eventually considering everyone she met thanks to joining the unit to be her most treasured friends. Many things have changed since her fateful meeting with Aoi, Tsubaki knew that much, but there were still some things that remained unchanged no matter how much time has passed. One of them was something that weighed on Tsubaki's heart more than anything else. A new feeling, something she didn't expect she'd find through her time spent with RONDO. A feeling so strong and so undeniable it felt almost as if it was about to burst out of her chest at all times, and yet it remained there, growing stronger everyday no matter how hard Tsubaki had tried to deny its existence or ignore it.

That's right, she knew the reason for her struggle all too well. Somewhere along the way, she wasn't quite sure when exactly, Tsubaki ended up falling for Aoi, someone she considered to be closer to her than anyone else at this point. As soon as she managed to put her feelings into perspective and understand them better, she tried to tell Aoi about how she felt, desperately wanting to let all of these pent up feelings. Yet somehow, every time she tried to tell Aoi how she felt something ended up getting in the way and in the end she's spent the entire year hopelessly yearning for the day when she'd finally manage to speak up about how she truly felt. There were so many times when she almost managed it, she was so close to telling Aoi just how much she meant to her, and yet every time something managed to stop her. Whether it was her own nervousness getting in the way of her actually saying the words out loud or Nagisa's voice ringing out suddenly from somewhere nearby, beckoning for the two to come over and see whatever she wanted to show them, there was always something.

This time wasn't supposed to be any different. It was just a cherry blossom viewing party, nothing more, so why would she have any reason to confess there and then? That's what she thought, at least, but in reality, Tsubaki had no idea what she was getting herself into by going to meet her friends underneath the cherry trees.

The day leading up to the meeting itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Tsubaki took her time getting ready in the morning and then made sure to grab some store-bought snacks to share with everyone later before heading back home and resting up a bit, not wanting to spend too much energy on any pointless activities before the much anticipated flower viewing. Soon enough it was time for RONDO to meet up at their designated spot and so Tsubaki headed out, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as she left the house. Upon arriving at the meeting spot, Tsubaki was greeted by two of her friends who were already waiting for everyone else to arrive.

"Yo! Tsubaki! Took you long enough, huh?" Nagisa seemed as full of energy as always as she raises her hand to excitedly wave at Tsubaki. It was hard to tell whether she was so happy because she was looking forward to spending time with all of her friends or if it was mostly because she was already sizing up the snack-filled bag Tsubaki was holding in one of her hands.

"Tsubaki-chan, I'm glad you made it~" Maybe it was because over the year all four of them have spent performing together some of Nagisa's overly positive energy had rubbed off on Hiiro or maybe it was because she was simply very excited about spending time with her friends, but regardless of what it was, Tsubaki could tell right away that she was in somewhat higher spirits than usual as she clasped her hands together after greeting her friend. "Say, you didn't happen to have seen Aoi-kun on your way here, right?"

Ah. Tsubaki herself had arrived just about on time for the meeting, but Aoi was nowhere to be found even though normally she tried her best to not be late. She couldn't help but worry that maybe her train was delayed again, just like last year as an anxious feeling began rising up in her stomach, but luckily it seemed like this time her worry wasn't necessary, since moments after Hiiro's question Tsubaki was dragged out of her worried state by the sound of familiar footsteps rushing over to where everyone else was standing.

"I-I made it...!" Aoi exclaimed proudly after stopping in front of everyone else. "I was worried my train would be late again so I walked all the way over here instead..." Ah. That sounded so... Aoi. Tsubaki couldn't help but chuckle a bit to herself at her friend's words.

"Alright! Now that Aoi-kun's here, how about me and Nagisa-chan go and secure a nice spot for all of us and in the meantime the two of you can wait here"

"Wait, but last year--" Tsubaki tried arguing with Hiiro's proposition, remembering that last year it was also them who secured a nice spot for the other two, but she was quickly cut off by Hiiro who now had her arms crossed over her chest as she shook her head.

"Me and Nagisa-chan can handle this just fine, Aoi-kun seems tired, doesn't she? I'm sure she could use a bit of rest!"

"I'm fine, really" Aoi tried protesting as well now that she had finally managed to catch her breath after how much she rushed to get here, but Hiiro seemed more stubborn about this than usually.

"Nope, no need! You two just-- sit here and wait for us! Isn't that right, Nagisa-chan?" She looked over at Nagisa with a somewhat strange look on her face that Tsubaki couldn't quite read as well as she would've liked to, only for Nagisa to begin energetically nodding her head in response.

"Right, right! We'll be fine so you guys can sit here for a bit and rest up, haha! We won't take long, promise!" She shot Tsubaki and Aoi a small thumbs up gesture and grinned after saying this. Since there was no convincing either of them to give up on the idea, Tsubaki decided to just let them go for now. It's not like she absolutely wanted to go looking for a spot, she simply didn't want her friends to be tasked with this burden for another year, but if the other two were so insistent, she didn't mind too much.

"Alright, we'll be off then~ you two have fun while we're gone~" Hiiro smiled brightly at her friends before gently grabbing Nagisa's arm and walking off into the distance, leaving Aoi and Tsubaki alone for the time being.

"Those two..." Tsubaki sighed a bit and sat down underneath one of the cherry trees now that the other two were gone.

"They sure wanted to be the ones looking for a nice spot, didn't they? Were they this excited about it last year as well?" Aoi sat down next to Tsubaki so that she didn't have to be the only one standing while they talked and then looked over at her friend with a gentle expression on her face. "It's nice though, isn't it? It reminds me of last year's flower viewing, even though I was late back then" She chuckled a bit after saying that before looking up at the tree above her. "We're able to spend another year together as RONDO and we can watch the flower petals fall as a group again... it's nice, isn't it?"

Tsubaki was silent for a moment as her attention was currently focused entirely on the way Aoi looked as the rays of sun that managed to make their way past the branches of the tree above her illuminated her face ever so slightly, almost as if to accentuate just how charming she looked in that moment. Since when was Tsubaki so enamored by everything Aoi did? She knew why it was happening, of course, but she couldn't help but wonder - was Aoi always this beautiful? Was the sun enough to make her look even more handsome than usual? Her heart skipped a beat as she caught herself thinking about all of those things, but soon enough Aoi's voice brought her back to reality.

"Is everything alright, Tsubaki? You look a bit flushed..." A hint of worry made its way onto Aoi's face. She was hoping that Tsubaki didn't have a fever or anything, after all, there was an exciting afternoon awaiting them both, so it would be a shame if Tsubaki ended up feeling ill and having to go home early, wouldn't it?

"Ah, I'm-- I'm fine, don't worry. I was just thinking..." She wanted to say what was on her mind in that moment, but her words ended up getting caught in her throat.

'You look really nice today'

She couldn't possibly say it out loud. Instead she took a deep breath and shook her head a bit. This wasn't the time for her to think about such things.

"I see, I'm glad to hear that then. This brings back good memories, doesn't it? I suppose I was right, our bonds as RONDO... no, as friends, we have grown closer over the course of the past year, it makes me happy seeing how much each of us has grown"

Ah. The bonds Aoi wanted to create with everyone, a sense of closeness shared with everyone, but most importantly...

"And with you, Tsubaki, I... I am really glad we are as close as we are now. You are my most treasured friend, you know?"

It was stupid, but just for a moment, Tsubaki's chest began to feel tighter as Aoi mentioned that she was a treasured friend to her. That was all it was, wasn't it? All that it would ever be... a friend. If Tsubaki didn't manage to do something about this, surely, Aoi wouldn't do anything either, it wasn't like her, and yet Tsubaki wanted it to come true so much. Why was it so difficult just to say these simple words? Just thinking about it made Tsubaki's face turn into a shade of pink and her heartbeat speed up suddenly. Was it even possible for Aoi to like her back? No... if she kept worrying about such things all this time, she would never find a satisfying conclusion to her troubles. She would simply be stuck living in a space between friendship and love, fearing everyday that eventually Aoi would find someone and then all of her feelings would have been in vain. She didn't want that. More than anything, Tsubaki didn't want to lose Aoi like this, not due to her own fear. She considered all of this for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly, something once again brought her out of the land of her own thoughts and into reality.

This time, it wasn't Aoi's voice, but rather a hand held out towards her that brushed past Tsubaki's cheek gently, sending nervous shivers down her spine and making her face even more flushed than it was before. What was that? Did Aoi just caress her cheek? Why? Her thoughts felt like they were going far too fast for her to be able to comprehend what was happening.

"Sorry, you had a petal on your cheek, so I just..." Aoi held out her hand again, this time in order to show off a tiny cherry blossom petal rested at the tip of one of her fingers. So that was it, huh? She didn't caress Tsubaki's cheek for some strange and unexpected reason, but rather she was just trying to help with taking the petal off of Tsubaki's face... of course.

...Still, that didn't change the fact that her heart was racing now, even more so than before. This closeness... if she were to finally tell Aoi how she felt, was it possible for her to experience it more? Could she be as selfish as to crave the gentle sensation of having Aoi's hand graze ever so gently past her cheek or her hand? Normally she was able to get rid of these kinds of thoughts soon enough, but this time was different. She couldn't stop thinking about all the what ifs and what the two's relationship could become if she could finally say out loud just how exactly she felt about Aoi. Just this once, her emotions were so overwhelming she felt as if she couldn't hold them back any longer.

"Aoi, I... I too... I want to..." Finally breaking the silence, Tsubaki spoke up, her voice sounding far more quiet and hesitant than normally. Aoi looked over at her and froze up a bit upon seeing the expression on her face. All of Tsubaki's emotions were just about to surface, and her face was a telling sign of that. A mix of frustration and determination was painted all over her expression alongside the blush that crept its way up to her cheeks.

"I... want us to be even closer, closer than anyone else"

It was barely noticeable, but when Tsubaki finally turned around to face Aoi, she was just about able to see a very faint blush on her cheeks as well. To think Aoi would blush like this in response to some dumb statement Tsubaki made... it wasn't fair, the way this blush alone was able to once again stir up the emotions within her.

"I see... Tsubaki, I am-- so sorry, I didn't realize, all this time..." Aoi's voice felt almost unnaturally soft as she spoke now. Could it be that the meaning behind Tsubaki's words carried through? Did Aoi understand how she felt now? The question was, how did Aoi feel? There wasn't much time for Tsubaki to think about that though as she soon felt Aoi's hand on her cheek once again, though this time it was a different kind of a sensation. Not only did it feel deliberate, her hand lingered longer in its place, gently cupping one of Tsubaki's cheeks as she pressed her hand to it, but also there was something else there, something which Tsubaki definitely didn't notice when Aoi first reached out to take the flower petal off of her face.

Aoi's hand was trembling ever so slightly.

"Aoi...?" This certainly didn't alleviate Tsubaki's nerves by any means. She looked up at Aoi again, this time looking more worried than anything else, but what she was met with in return was the kind of expression she's never seen Aoi make. One that showed nothing more than pure adoration in the way it looked, even more than any expression Aoi has shown her before. Having seen that, Tsubaki leaned into Aoi's touch ever so slightly and then took another breath. This was it, wasn't it? She could say it... she had to say it. Aoi understood her this time, there was no way she didn't, so Tsubaki gathered up all the courage she could before speaking up again.

"Aoi... I love you"

The words left her mouth before she could think of a reason to hold herself back, and all of a sudden she too could feel her body shaking ever so slightly in nervous anticipation of what was about to come. Surely, the two understood each other's feelings well enough, right?

"I love you too, Tsubaki" Aoi's voice sounded somewhat more firm than Tsubaki's nervous exclamation of her love, but she knew that underneath that composed facade Aoi was trembling with nervousness just as much as she was. So this was it, wasn't it? They've both said it, Aoi returned Tsubaki's feelings in full... in this one moment, Tsubaki couldn't possibly be happier. If she were to choose one moment of her life to relive over and over and over again for the rest of time, it would be this one.

"Ah, but, we should probably get ready to head to our spot soon" Aoi was the first one to break the silence of the two's peaceful moment together. The moment itself couldn't last forever, but at least Tsubaki knew that she didn't have to hide her feelings anymore, her and Aoi's relationship... from now on, they would surely get to know each other even more than before. More than anyone else.

"You're right, I'm sure the other two will be here soon, let's--" Tsubaki was about to get up when Aoi took her hand and held her back for a moment, causing her blush to show itself once again.

"Tsubaki, wait, I just..." She paused, thinking. "Thank you for sharing your feelings with me, right now... I couldn't be happier. I'll be looking forward to getting to know you even better now, all of you." This kind of a cheesy line sounded like just the kinda thing Aoi would say, alright. That didn't stop Tsubaki from feeling ever so slightly flustered after she heard these words.

"Of course... I'm happy too. You really are... my most treasured person, Aoi"

Before Aoi could reply to Tsubaki's words, a loud voice echoed throughout the area, calling out to the two of them.

"TSUBAKIIIII, AOIIII!! WE'VE GOT A SPOT, LET'S GO!!!"

"I suppose it's time to go then, isn't it...?" Now that Nagisa and Hiiro were back, the two actually got up and started heading towards them, but not before briefly interlocking their pinky fingers now that they were up on their feet. It was a small gesture, one that could easily be overlooked by most, but to Aoi and Tsubaki, they knew exactly what it meant.

'From now on... stay by my side until the end of time'


End file.
